---
title:  Enable Security with Property Definitions
---

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## security-manager Property

The authentication callback and the authorization callback that implement 
the `SecurityManager` interface
are specified with the `security-manager` property.
When this property is defined, authentication and authorization are enabled.
The definition of the `security-manager` property is the
fully qualified name of the class that implements the `SecurityManager` interface.
For example:

``` pre
security-manager = com.example.security.MySecurityManager
```

To ensure that the `security-manager` property is applied consistently across a cluster, follow these guidelines:

- Specify the `security-manager` property in a properties file, such as `gemfire.properties`, **not** in a cluster configuration file (such as `cluster.properties`).
- Specify the properties file when you start the first locator for the cluster. The locator will propagate the value to all members (locators and servers) that follow.
- If you must specify the `security-manager` property for servers (neither necessary nor recommended) make sure its value is exactly identical to that specified for the first locator.

All components of the system invoke the same callbacks.
Here are descriptions of the components and the connections that they
make with the system.

- A client connects with a server and makes operation requests 
of that server.  The callbacks invoked are those defined by the
`SecurityManager` interface for that server.
- A server connects with a locator, invoking the `authenticate` callback
defined for that locator.
- Components communicating with a locator's JMX manager connect and make
operation requests of the locator.
The callbacks invoked are those defined by the
`SecurityManager` interface for that locator.
Both `gfsh` and `Pulse` use this form of communication.
- Applications communicating via the REST API make of a server
invoke security callbacks upon connection and operation requests.
- Requests that a gateway sender makes of a locator
invoke security callbacks defined for that locator.

## security-post-processor Property

The  `PostProcessor` interface allows the definition of a set of callbacks
that are invoked after operations that get data,
but before the data is returned.
This permits the callback to intervene and format the data
that is to be returned.
The callbacks do not modify the region data,
only the data to be returned.

Enable the post processing of data by defining the
`security-post-processor` property
with the path to the definition of the interface.
For example,

``` pre
security-post-processor = com.example.security.MySecurityPostProcessing
```
